Chickpea Extracts As Therapeutic Agents And Foods In The Treatment And Prevention Of Obesity And Non-Insulin-Depenent Diabetes

Abstract

This invention discloses the uses of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum ) extract in the preparation of food for the prevention and treatment of obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDD). The invention provides a therapeutic agent and food containing chickpea extract for the prevention and treatment of obesity and NIDD. In this invention, the effect of chickpea extract to the high fat diet fed mice tested by the experiment proves that the chickpea extract can significantly decrease the levels of triglyceride, cholesterol and low density lipoproteins caused by high fat diet taken in a long period of time. Additionally, it is found in the experiments that the chickpea extract can improve the hyposensitivity to insulin. The preparation of the extract is also disclosed herein.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A method of prevention or treatment of obesity and/or NIDD comprising administering to a patient in the need thereof a preparation comprising a chickpea extract. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the obesity and/or NIDD is caused by decreased secretion of adiponectin. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the obesity and/or NIDD is associated with accumulation of fat in internal organs. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the obesity and/or NIDD is accompanied by insulin resistance. 
     
     
         28 . A method of preparation of chickpea extract comprising
 (a) grounding chickpeas to obtain ground chickpeas;   (b) extracting the ground chickpeas obtained in (a) with a polar solvent to obtain a solid phase and a liquid phase, and separating the liquid phase from the solid phase   (c) evaporating solvent from the liquid phase obtained in (b) to obtain a chickpea extract; and   (d) drying the chickpea extract obtained in (c).   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising in (b) extracting the solid phase obtained after separation of the liquid and solid phases with a polar solvent, again separating phases, and combining liquid phases. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said polar solvent is a C 1-4  alcohol or a mixture of a C 1-4  alcohol and water. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the C 1-4  alcohol is a methyl alcohol, an ethyl alcohol, an isopropyl alcohol, an n-propyl alcohol, or a butyl alcohol. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said polar solvent is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the mixture of a C 1-4  alcohol and water has a concentration of between 0.1-99.5% (v/v) of the C 1-4  alcohol with respect to water. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the mixture of a C 1-4  alcohol and water has a concentration of between 30-99.5% (v/v) of the C 1-4  alcohol with respect to water. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein the mixture of a C 1-4  alcohol and water has a concentration of between 50-99.5% (v/v) of the C 1-4  alcohol with respect to water. 
     
     
         36 . A pharmaceutical preparation comprising a pharmaceutically-acceptable excipient and chickpea extract. 
     
     
         37 . The pharmaceutical preparation of  claim 36  provided in a tablet form, a capsule form, or a liquid drink form. 
     
     
         38 . The pharmaceutical preparation of  claim 36  prepared by the following steps
 (a) extracting pulverized chickpeas with alcohol; filtering and separating liquid phase from chickpea residue; and concentrating the liquid phase under increased pressure at a temperature below 40° C. to obtain chickpea extract;   (b) pulverizing the chickpea extract in a pulverizer; adding between 5 and 20 times the volume of the chickpea extracts of an aqueous DMSO solution; and mixing to form a suspension; and   (c) diluting the suspension with water to form a liquid drink.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising in (a) extracting the chickpea residue obtained after separation of the liquid phase with alcohol, again separating phases, and combining liquid phases. 
     
     
         40 . The pharmaceutical preparation of  claim 36  prepared by the following steps
 (a) extracting pulverized chickpeas with alcohol; filtering and separating liquid phase from chickpea residue; and concentrating the liquid phase under reduced pressure at a temperature below 60° C. to obtain chickpea extract;   (b) pulverizing the chickpea extract in a pulverizer; adding between 5 and 20 times the volume of the chickpea extracts of an aqueous DMSO solution; and mixing to form a suspension; and   (c) diluting the suspension with water to form a liquid drink.   
     
     
         41 . The pharmaceutical preparation of  claim 38  wherein in (b) adding between 8 and 12 times the volume of the chickpea extracts of an aqueous DMSO solution. 
     
     
         42 . The pharmaceutical preparation of  claim 38  wherein the concentration of the aqueous DMSO solution is between 0.05 and 0.2% v/v. 
     
     
         43 . The pharmaceutical preparation of  claim 36 , wherein the chickpea extract is provided at a concentration of between 0.1 and 2% w/w with respect to the weight of the preparation.